Button-cleaning machine.



PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906.

0. e. HELLER. BUTTON CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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PATENTED DEG. 18, 1906.

G. G. HELLER. BUTTON CLEANING MACHINE;

APPLIOATION IILED JAN.2,,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

46 iii J5 J0 WITNESSES.

ATTORNEYS CHARLES G. HELLER, OF

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

-BUTTON-CLEANING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1

Application filed January 2, 1906. $erial No. 294,128.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES G. HELLER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented a new and Improved Button-Cleaning Machine, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a very simple, durable, andeconomic machine for cleaning and polishing buttons, especiallycollar-buttons, made of a composition material and to so construct themachine that the fins which are formed on the buttons in the mold andwhich remain thereon when the buttons are removed from the mold will becompletely removed from the rims and posts or shanks of the buttons andsuch surfaces be rendered smooth.

Another purpose of the invention is to construct a machine to whichbuttons may be readily fed and which will as rapidly clean and dischargethe buttons.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorrespondingparts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, parts being broken away. Fig. 2is a central vertical section taken substantially on the line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the friction-plate for therevolving head of the machine. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken at anangle to the section shown in Fig. 2 and practically on the line 4 4 ofFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section taken practically on theline 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an inner face view of one of thepost-shavers. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a button to be cleaned,showing the appearance of the button when it leaves the mold; and Fig. 8is a perspective view of a button which has been passed through themachine.

A represents a table which is provided. with a central circular opening10 of desired diameter, and the table is supported by legs 11 or byequivalent means, and at one side of the front of the table, preferablyat the left-hand side of the center, a recess 12 is produced in the wallof the opening 10, while to the right of the front central portion ofthe 1 table a horizontal slot 12 is produced in the upperportion of thetable extending nearly through to its bottom surface, as is shown inFig. 2. At each side of this slot 12 guide bars or plates 13 are-securedto the table, which guide bars or plates extend out beyond the front ofthe table a predetermined distance, and the space between the guide-bars13 is just sufficient to receive the shank or post sections ofcollar-buttons B. When the collar-buttons are placed in the spacebetween the said plates 13, the front faces of their backs have bearingupon the upper faces of the guide-plates 13, as is shown in both Figs. 1and 2.

A frame C, preferably U-shaped in crosssection, is secured to the underface of the table A by bolts 14 or like devices, and the said frame C isprovided with an upper cross-bar 15, as is shown in Fig. 2. The saidcross-bar 15 has a bearing 16 formed therein, and the lower member ofthe said frame is provided with a corresponding bearing 16*. A mainshaft 17 is journaled in bearings 16 and 16 and on this shaft, withinthe frame C, a driving-pulley 18 is secured, and a pinion 19 is fastenedto the lower end of the said shaft 17 outside of the frame C. The pinion19 meshes with a large gear 20, which is likewise outside of the frame 0and is secured upon the lower end of a driven shaft 21, which shaft ismounted to turn in a bearin 22 on the cross-bar 15 and a bearing 23 at te bot tom portion\ of the frame C. A pinion 24 is secured to the shaft21, and this pinion meshes with a large gear 25. The said gear 25 issecured to a tubular shaft 26, which shaft is mounted to turn loosely onthe main drive-shaft 17, and the said tubular shaft is likewise mountedto turn in the upper bearing 16 of the frame.

The hub 27 of a disk-carrier D is secured, by means of a set-screw 27 orthe like, to the upper portion of the tubular shaft 26, and the saiddisk-carrier is of such diameter that it can turn in the opening 10 inthe table, and when so turning a space intervenes between the wall ofthe opening 10 and the peripheral surface of the disk-carrier.

As is particularly shown in Fig. 1, the diskcarrier D is provided withan upwardly-ere tending peripheral rib or flange 28, and from thisflange spurs 29 are carried horizontally outward, the spurs being anequal distance apart, and the spaces 30 between the spurs constitutepockets for the reception of the of gearing described the maindrive-shaft 17 may be rapidly revolved, while the tubular shaft 26 isturned but slowly.

In connection with the table A three or more post-shavers E are employedand one trimmer E, the post-shavers E being adapt- 31 is provided withed to clean the posts of the buttons as the disk-carrier revolves, whilethe trimmer E is adapted to remove all fins or projections from therimsof the buttons. These cleaning devices are arranged in a chainaround the opening 10 in the table, the trimmer E being at the right ofthe guide-plates 13 and the forward shaver E at the left of the opening12, through which openings the cleaned buttons are adapted to drop intoany suitable receptacle.

The post-shavers E are made of metal and v comprise a body 31 and aflange extending back of the body at the top. The said body a conveXedsmooth outer face and aconcaved inner face, which inner face 33 is afile-face, the teeth being made more or less coarse, as is shown in Fig.6, and

when the post-shaver is in position in the table the body 31 of theshaver is fitted in a suitable recess in the wall of the opening 10,while the flange 32 rests upon the upper face of the table. Each shaver,and likewise the trimmer, is preferably provided at each end with arecess 34, and the recessed portions of the'various cleaners receivetriangular spacing-blocks 35, as is best shown in Fig. 1.

All of the cleaning devices E and E are adjustable to and from thedisk-carrier D to a greater or lesser extent, and to that end a spring36, preferably a bow-spring, is provided for each cleaning device, andthe ends of the springs are made to enter slots in the backs of thedevices. Each spring is made to fit into an angular bracket 37, and saidbrackets are secured to the table A in any roved manner. Each bracket 37is provided with an adjusting-screw 38, which has bearing against thespring 36, passed through the bracket, and the adjusting-screw 38 ofeach bracket is engaged by a set-screw 39, passed downward from the topof the bracket, as is best shown in Fig. 4. The 1 buttontrimmer E restsupon a similarly-shaped block 40, fitted in a recess 40 in the table Aat the central 0 ening 10, as is shown in Fig. 4, wherein it wi 1 beobserved that a plate of suitable length and breadth is provided, theinner face whereof is concaved and is given a file-surface 42 to beengaged by the rim of the back of abutton as it is carried around by thedisk-carrier D, and in front of the filesurface 42 of the trimmer aflange 41 is formed upon the upper inner edge of the block 40, uponwhich that portion of the back being cleaned has bearing, and the innerface of the block is recessed to accommodate the head of the button,while the block 40 is held up to its work by a spring 41', as is bestshown in Fig. 4. y

In order that a button having its rim cleaned shall not rise, a guard 43is provided, curved similarly to the inner face of the trimmer E, as isshown in Figs. 1 and 4, and this guard 43 is adjustably supported abovethe flange 41 of the block 40 by means of angular arms 44, secured tothe guard and ad justably attached to the table A, preferably by meansof screws or bolts 45, passed through slots in the said bracket.

The main drive-shaft 17 extends some distance above the table, and thehub 48 of a revolving head F is secured to the upper end of the saidshaft by means of a set-screw 49 or the like. In the interest oflightness the body portion 47 of the said head, which is circular, ismade quite thin, but the peripheral portion 50 of the head is quitethick, and in the under face of the head at its margin an annular recess51 is produced.

The revolving head F is of slightly greater diameter than thedisk-carrier D, and in the thick portion 50 of the said head adjacent toits periphery an annular chamber 52 is made, extending from the recess51 nearly to the. upper face of the head, as is shown in Fig. 4. Arubber band 53 is fitted in this chamber, which band extends out at thebottom of the chamber a sufficient distance to have bearing upon thebacks of the buttons in the diskcarrier, as is also shown in Fig. 4,preventing the buttons from working up while being operated upon, yetpermitting the buttons to turn in their pockets. The band 53 may beplaced under more or less tension through adjusting-screws 54, locatedin the head and having bearing upon a hard ring 55, which in its turnhas bearing upon the upper edge of the soft band 53. A circularfriction-plate 56 is attached to the under face of the head by means ofscrews 57 or the like, which plate is of less diameter than the diameterof the head, but of sufficient diameter to eX- tend partly under thesoft band, 53, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The friction-plate 56 ismore or less beveled u on its upper face at its periphery, and saideveled surface is roughened, as shown at 58 in Fig. 3.

A cleaning-plate 46 is secured to the table A to the left of theguardlate 13, the inner end 46 of which enters fhe space between thedisk-carrier D and the soft band 53 of the revolving head F for thepurpose of keeping said space free from partlcles removed from thebuttons. When the buttons B are laced head down in the pockets 30 of the-carrier D, the front face of their back members will rest at theirbottom portions upon the roughened surface 58 of the friction-disk 56,being so held by the pressure of the band 53. Thus as the disk-carrier Dturns slowly and the head F is rapidly revolved the said head throughits frictional engagement with the buttons will cause said buttons toconstantly turn during the entire period they are held by thedisk-carrier D.

In the complete operation of the machine the buttons are fed between theguideways i0 and are automatically picked up by the disk-carrier D, andas the carrier revolves with a button the rim of the button is broughtin engagement with the file-face of the trimmer E and that portion ofthe button is thoroughly cleaned from all fins or projections that maybe formed thereon. As the carrier continues to revolve the shanks orposts of the revolving buttons will be carried in engagemnt with thevarious shavers E until when the forward end of the last shaver isreached the shank or post of the button will have been completelycleaned, as shown in Fig. 8, the button having been placed in themachine in the condition shown in Fig. 7 and when the cleaned buttonreaches the opening 12 in the table the discharge-plate 46 will removethe button from its pocket and it will drop into any receptacle placedto receive it.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a machine for cleaning buttons, arevolving-carrier having pockets for the buttons, a head mounted torevolve above the said carrier and arranged for frictional engagementwith the buttons to turn the same in their bearings, and means forrotating the head at a higher rate of speed than that of the carrier.

2. In a machine for cleaning buttons, a revoluble carrier provided witha series of pockets, each adapted to receive a button, a head mounted torevolve above the said carrier, having a member arranged for frictionalengagement with the buttons to turn the same in their pockets, cleaningdevices 10- cated around the peripheral portion'of the said carrier, onefollowing the other and some disposed for engagement with the rims ofthe buttons and others for engagement with the posts of the buttons, anda twospeed driving mechanism whereby to impart a slow movement to thecarrier and a rapid movement to the head.

3. In a machine for cleaning buttons, a carrier mounted to revolve,provided with marginal pockets for the reception ofbuttons a headmounted to revolve above the carrier, the said head being provided witha roughened surface for engagement with the under face of the back ofthe buttons and a cushioned face for engagement with the upper surfaceof the back of the buttons when in said carrier, a button-trimmer, and aseries of shavers located in a chain around the marginal portion of thecarrier in consecutive order, the inner faces of each of said partsbeing concaved and provided with a file-surface, and means forsimultaneously driving the head and the carrier, imparting a rapidmovement to the head and a slow movement to the carrier.

4. In a machine for cleaning buttons, a table having an opening therein,a disk-carrier mounted to turn in the opening of the table, said carrierbeing provided with series of marginal pockets, each pocket beingadapted to loosely receive a button, a head mounted to revolve above thesaid table, which head is provided with a roughened lower marginalsection for engagement with the front faces of the back members of thebuttons, and an adjustable elastic band arranged for engagement with theback faces of the back members of said buttons, a trimmer, a series ofshavers arranged in chainlike order around said opening, each of thesaid parts having a concaved inner face pro vided with a file-surface,tension devices for the trimmer and the shavers, and means forsimultaneously turning the carrier and the head in the same directionbut at different rates of speed.

In'testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificationin thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES G. HELLER.

Witnesses:

CHAS. B. DUNCAN, HOWARD VAN HISE.

